Nov 8, 2012

Eastern Michigan Cited For ‘Failure To Monitor’

Eastern Michigan failed to monitor its women’s basketball program and the former head women’s basketball coach, AnnMarie Gilbert, failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the program, according to findings by the Division I Committee on Infractions. The case centered on women’s basketball student-athletes exceeding practice hour limitations and violations of NCAA legislation relating to tryouts.

Penalties in this case include recruiting restrictions and practice limitations for the university, along with a two-year show-cause order for Gilbert. As a result, should Gilbert seek athletically related employment with an NCAA institution during this time period, she will face restrictions in her duties at the hiring institution.

From spring of 2007 through August 2010, Gilbert did not follow practice limitation rules, which resulted in her failure to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the women’s basketball program. In its report, the committee noted that the limitations on playing and practice hours exist to safeguard student-athlete well-being and prohibit unfair competitive advantages from occurring, and Gilbert admitted that the program benefitted from the additional practice time.

“The committee was particularly troubled by comments on the record, the public report stated. For example, the former head coach told student-athletes who complained about excessive practices or sought to leave early to study that they were ‘soft, ‘ and that they had ‘the rest of [their lives] to retake a class.”

Eastern Michigan failed to monitor its women’s basketball program and the former head women’s basketball coach, AnnMarie Gilbert, failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the program, according to findings by the Division I Committee on Infractions. The case centered on women’s basketball student-athletes exceeding practice hour limitations and violations of NCAA legislation relating to tryouts.

Penalties in this case include recruiting restrictions and practice limitations for the university, along with a two-year show-cause order for Gilbert. As a result, should Gilbert seek athletically related employment with an NCAA institution during this time period, she will face restrictions in her duties at the hiring institution.

From spring of 2007 through August 2010, Gilbert did not follow practice limitation rules, which resulted in her failure to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the women’s basketball program. In its report, the committee noted that the limitations on playing and practice hours exist to safeguard student-athlete well-being and prohibit unfair competitive advantages from occurring, and Gilbert admitted that the program benefitted from the additional practice time.

“The committee was particularly troubled by comments on the record, the public report stated. For example, the former head coach told student-athletes who complained about excessive practices or sought to leave early to study that they were ‘soft, ‘ and that they had ‘the rest of [their lives] to retake a class.”